William Homes Smiles Commemoration Campaign

William Homes Smiles, who founded the Belfast Rope Works in the early 1870s,was the son of Dr Samual Smiles,the author of the Victorian classic,Self Help. William Smiles lived at Westbank House on the Palmerston Road Sydenham Belfast Co Antrim Northern Ireland. Mrs Lucy Smiles was half sister to Mrs Beeton the Victorian cookery expert. The Smiles family had eleven children. William Smiles and Gustav Wolff of Harland and Wolff Belfast founded the Belfast Rope Works in the second World War one third of the ropes required by the war office (a quarter of a million tons were made at the Belfast Rope Works, in addition it manufactured 50,000 camouflage and cargo nets. The Smiles family give a lot to Northern Ireland they also give their two sons who were both killed in action 2nd Lieutenant Samuel Smiles1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles. killed in Action 16th August 1917, aged 36 years, and Captain William Alan Smiles 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Rifles, killed in Action 9th July 1916 aged 34 years Lt-Col.Sir Walter Dorling Smiles CIE DSO ( 8 November 1883-31 January 1953) was a member of Parliament for Blackburn from1931 to 1945 Smiles was re-elected in 1935 but stood for Down Northern Ireland in the 1945 Westminister election as a Unionist. The constituency was split in 1950 into North and South Down. Smiles won North Down that year and remained its MP until his death in 1953. He lost his life in the sinking of the Princess Victoria of Larne Lough in the Great Storm. The Palmerston Residents Association wants to have this great family commemorated at the site where Westbank House once stood at Palmerston Road Sydenham before it was demolished to make way for a new development. The Palmerston Residents Association have made contact with Wesley Housing Association Ltd who now own the new development seeking their agreement to have some type of commemoration at the new site to enable our children and our visitors to see where this great family once lived and to mark their place in Northern Ireland History. At present we are at odds with Wesley Housing Association where we would like the commemoration placed, they feel it would be better on the inside of the building but we feel it should take its place on the outside of the building in the grounds to enable every one to veiw it. We will keep you updated on our campaign to have this family properly commemorated for the people of Sydenham and Ireland Northern and assuring their place in our history

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Palmerston Residents Association Says To The DOE Help SAVE LIVES 20sPlenty

Written by terryhoey on

From: the-association.spaces.live.com

About 20's Plenty for Bristol...

Research has shown that the vast majority of the public would like 20 mph on residential roads. Lower speeds are government policy, but local authorities are dragging their feet. People pressure will change this. Five towns in UK have now decided on a default 20mph limit. We want to add greater Bristol - which would be the biggest area so far to go for 20 mph. This will give valuable prestige to the two Councils of Bristol and South Gloucestershire - but they need your help to know that it will be popular and successful. You can be part of a grass roots campaign to show Bristol and South Gloucestershire that now is the time to act.
20's Plenty for Bristol is a coordinating campaign group based on the national campaign 20's Plenty for Us - http://www.20splentyforus.org.uk/
We need you to help build a total of 100 neighbourhood 20's Plenty champions throughout Bristol and urban South Gloucestershire. Do you have links with a neighbourhood or community group? Or would you like to create such a group? Would you like to help show people the benefits of 20 mph speed limits in your locality? If so, please contact us giving your name and location. Or if not, please pass this to someone you think might be keen to take it on.
This is the task for 20's Plenty neighbourhood champions:

Get together your local team.
Inform the public by leaflets and media.
Gather evidence of public demand, eg by petitions, return post cards.

Your publicity might be linked with other neighbourhood material, newsletter etc. This will be entirely up to you.
We hold champions' training meetings to discuss together what you can do, tell you more about 20's Plenty and see what resources and help you need.
To join in as a neighbourhood champion - please reply to champions!at!20splentyforbristol.org.uk (anti-spam format, replace !at! with @ ) with your name and locality.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How will all this get Bristol a 20mph limit?
A. We're confident that the public demand is out there. The evidence in form of local petitions and returned post cards will be passed to the Councils of Bristol and South Gloucestershire. We will shortly also have an e-petition. A number of Councillors already support us and we aim for motions to be placed in the two councils which result in executive actions ordering 20mph limits in all residential roads. But before getting to that stage evidence of strong public support is vital
Q. Can you tell me more about what a champion will do?
A. Each champion will make use of their local knowledge of people, communities, and channels of communication. Where there is an existing community group or club of any kind this could be the centre for local action. It might be anything from a Parish Council to a Neighbourhood Watch Team to the Knitting Circle! Any public spirited group that has the enthusiasm to get things moving. The 20's Plenty Champion will introduce the idea to the group and take the lead in the promotion.
We don't want to be too prescriptive in how the promotion of 20mph is carried out. 20's Plenty for Us information leaflets and 20mph red ring road signs as window stickers could be delivered to every door. If there is an existing community newsletter, the 20mph information could be included with it, saving on the need for a special delivery team. Pamphlets highlighting specific local problems or opportunities for 20mph streets will be very useful.
Directly after the first "information" phase, champions and helpers will put petitions in places like newsagents, shops and libararies, or invite people to sign petitions in the street. They will need to collect the paper petitions , count up and deliver them to us, from where we'll get them to the councils. This will create more opportunities for telling the press what's going on and getting the campaign in the papers.
Q. I don't have a community group - can I help?
A. Champions that don't have an existing community group will get a few helpers together and form a specific 20's Plenty group for their locality.
Q. I'd like to help but don't see myself as a champion, what do I do?
A. Please contact us saying you'd like to be a helper and we'll put you in touch with your local champion.
Q. Who pays for the leaflets ?
A. We hope that community groups will be willing to fund some printing, but we also intend to apply for funding from Greater Bristol Cycling City, as lower motor speeds are the first step in getting people on bikes and the Councils already have funding for that purpose.
Q. What back-up will I get?
A. We will arrange Champions' meetings and from these we'll develop the back-up and support. You will also be able to join an email group and be in touch with other champions.

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